The Klu have been incorperated into Tibetan Buddhism .
Once they belonged to the Bön religion

KY.

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A mural from Yung Drung Kundrak Ling Monastery
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By John Vincent Belezza:

The klu have become assimilated into the Indian Naga, a very ancient class of demi­ gods, who make up a principal part of the aboriginal pantheon of the western Himalaya.

Buddhism in Tibet was unable to eradicate the ancient klu cults and had to be content with making them the object of a complex
liturgy (cf. Tucci 1949: 723).

In Mongolia, the master-spirits of the water (luus) are most closely linked with the cult of mountains (Tartar: 11-14). The klu are believed to dwell in the underworld and embody water sources like springs, rivers and lakes, and are least active in the winter season.

The klu guard the celestial palaces of deities, cause winds and rains and are also the embodiment of water sources such as rivers and lakes.

The Bön kLu 'bum records that the orders of klu originated from 6 eggs laid by the cosmic golden tortoise (Nebesky-Wojkowitz: 290). The Bön kLu 'bum also records that there are 3 categories of klu:

- white
- black
- multicolored

These categories of klu correspond to the chromatic scheme of the srid gsum and are supplementary to their characteristic blue color, the color of water.

kLu are found in the retinue of major Tibetan deities such as dPal ldan lha mo, mGon po, Vaishavana and the guardian of bSam yas, Tsi'u dmar po (Nebesky-Wojkowitz: 31,49,71,166).

Along with the bdud, the klu are also messengers of the planetary deity Rahu (Nebesky-Wojkowitz: 260). The king of the klu is usually thought to be Zur phud Inga pa (Pancasikha), but in the Bön text Nam sang zhi ba' i zhi khro'i bskang bshags pa, the king of the klu is said to be rGyal ba byin chags (Nebesky-Wojkowitz: 287).

Similarly, the klu, like the gnyan, possess a dual nature and often act in an ambivalent manner towards people. It is commonly believed that, when angered, klu can cause skin diseases. The 'brog pa also believe that, when offended or neglected, the klu pose a threat to their livestock, particularly to the young animals. Especially in their female form, klu play an important part in Tibetan cosmogony and, specifically, the cosmogony of lakes.

The Lu spirits are integral to Mongolian shamanism too.
Reminds me of the absorption of Khyung into Garuda.

The Klu are in Mongolia associated with mountains.
There are many pre-Buddhist entities assimilated into the new religion from India and given new names to it.
But that does not mean that they disappeared in the world of Bön.
Its the same with Samantabhadra and Kuntu Zangpo.

To Kuntu Zangpo is added the name Samantabhadra, but that does not mean that therefore Kuntu Zangpo has disappeared.

In the Bön religiion is stated that when Buddha Shenrab Miwoche, the son of dMu Gyal, came to Böd Khams, he encountered the fury and resistance of gNyan chen tang lha and his horde of dmu.

This however did not prevent Buddha Shenrab form making this Tibetan mountain God a protector of his religion.
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gNyan chen tang lha.jpg (116.41 KiB) Viewed 435 times

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According to Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, Bönpos are convinced that gNyan chen tang lha, is in fact honored and worship by the Buddhists as one of their deities.

Their main point of contention in relation to gNyan chen tang lha, was the ability of Guru Rinpoche, to effect a permanent transformation in the personality and propensity of the mountain. The debate inevitable around the historicity of Guru Rinpoche and his thaumaturgic capabilities.

Interestingly, both the Bönpos and Buddhists agree that gNyan chen tang lha had different proclivities before their contact with him.

This indicates that the mountain possessed a distinctive aboriginal character, prior to the establishment of the more modern Tibetan religions.

So that means that gNyan chen tang lha, was already a protective deity as the Bön Traditions maintains.

But for the spreading of Buddhism was gNyan chen tang lha a very necessary ally.